For lovers of electric bike racing, director Mark Neale's documentary about the first-ever electric motorcycle competition that started on the Isle of Man TT course June 12, 2009, Charge, is now in theaters. The updated film chronicles racing teams preparing for the 2009 race, and their return in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

The film was released for theater showings in 15 US markets on May 20. It's part of Cinedigms's new DOCUDRAMA film screening events. We've got the trailer, and a list of cities where the movie will be screened below. Charge is narrated by British film star and motorcycle enthusiast Ewan McGregor.

The trailer shows one of the longtime TT race fan who was deeply offended by the classic racetrack being switched over from the roaring motorbikes to quiet, hissing e-bikes. "This is the TT," he says in the video. "It's recognized throughout the world. They come to see our event race our motorbikes – not piss about on battery-powered scrap."

For fans of electric bike racing, it's a different story. A year after the start of e-bike racing in 2009, the 2010 TT Zero saw a huge leap in performance. "Proof that racing really does improve the breed and that maniacs on motorcycles can be a force for global good," according to the press release.

From the director of Faster and Fastest (Mark Neale), and narrated by actor and motorcycle enthusiast Ewan McGregor (Star Wars, Trainspotting), CHARGE is proof that maniacs on motorcycles can be a force for global good.

Every screening begins with the 3-minute short film SOLAR ROADWAYS from GE FOCUS FORWARD and is followed by a pre-taped Q&A with Mr. Neale

LOS ANGELES / NEW YORK – For the visionaries, this is history. For lovers of gasoline-powered motor bikes it's blasphemy. What is racing without the sound and fury of internal combustion engines? The documentary CHARGE from filmmaker Mark Neale (Faster, Fastest) – opening in theaters nationwide next week – shows it's about the future. It's about change. It's about the dream of a clean, green world. It's about the dream of winning. And it's about enormous risk – both financial and the very lives of the competitors.

CHARGE is proof that maniacs on motorcycles – seeking victory at maximum speed – can be a force for global good. The exhilarating movie, narrated by Ewan McGregor (Star Wars, Trainspotting), follows several teams to the world's first zero-emissions grand prix on the Isle of Man, including Portland, Oregon-based MotoCzysz.

The theatrical release of CHARGE in 15 U.S. markets (including Los Angeles and New York) during the week of May 20 is the fifth film in Cinedigm's (NASDAQ: CIDM) new DOCURAMA multi-platform film brand and inaugural series of national theatrical screening events (http://www.docuramafest.com). The DOCURAMA film series is attracting national attention for its unique series that is bringing 7 award-winning documentary films in 7 weeks, from April 22 through June 16.

Synopsis: CHARGE captures a pivotal moment in motor sport history: the dawn of the zero-emissions racing era. It came on June 12, 2009, the day of the world's first zero-emissions motorcycle grand prix. The race took place on the Isle of Man TT course, the most demanding and deadly circuit on the planet. The film begins in early 2009 amid the hectic preparations for the race and concludes over a year later at the 2010 TT Zero. The second race sees a huge leap in performance – proof that racing really does improve the breed and that maniacs on motorcycles can be a force for global good. The film follows the fortunes of several teams in the run-up to the 2009 race and on their return in 2010, 2011 and 2012, from swaggering US hotshots MotoCzysz to shoestring British-Indian contenders Team Agni and local heroes ManTTx Racing.

CHARGE is the dramatic and highly entertaining inside story of an unlikely group of pioneers – obsessed visionaries, ambitious businessmen, new-tech eccentrics, government ministers and hardcore racers – from as far afield as India, the USA, Germany and Britain. It's a human story as well as a technological one: the teams' hopes for personal glory and commercial success ride on their green machines. It's about the dream of a clean, green world. It's about the dream of winning.

In partnership with GE FOCUS FORWARD-Short Films, Big Ideas, a curatorial program inspired by GE's vision of innovative people being the catalyst for world change, DOCURAMA will present a 3-minute short documentary with each feature film that has a complementary theme or subject matter. SOLAR ROADWAYS, from filmmaker Michele Ohayon, will be shown before every screening of CHARGE. What if roads and parking lots were solar, fueling enough energy from the sun to power nearby communities as well as electric vehicles? Scott and Julie, the inventors/creators have the answer. Every screening of CHARGE will be followed by a pre-taped Q&A with the director.

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After breaking the ton last year (100 mph average speeds), the top teams are talking about 110 MPH average speeds for this year's TT race. Gas motorcycles broke the ton in 1957, and it took 20 years until 1978 for gas motorcycles to break 110 MPH. The top EV teams are talking about doing in 1 year what it took 20 years for gas motorcycles to achieve. That's pretty crazy! Of course, no matter how fast the advances are, we're still talking about the top EV race bikes still being 35 years behind compared to current Superbike class motorcycles on the Isle of Man course. That's better than 55 years behind, but there is still a ways to go before the fastest EV motorcycles can bump elbows with the fastest gas bikes on a course of this distance. It leaves EV motorcycles somewhere around the same speed as the current Lightweight gas bike classes.

But you forget the electrics have the benefit of all the chassis, brake and tire development that was done with ICE powered bikes. Back in the day, the tires, frames, brakes and suspensions were the problem. The average has been bumped up 20 mph since 78. Who knows how fast a MotoGP bike would be around here in the right hands (McGuiness) given they can hit 215 MPH plus on top. I suspect you would see maybe 135 mph average.

"They come to see our event race our motorbikes – not piss about on battery-powered scrap." Yeah, cause REAL men judge racing by how loud the vehicle is, not by how fast it goes! LMAO!!! There will always be a group of morons who cling to ANYTHING as long as it's not new.

No one said anything about real men. Bottom line is part of the spectacle is the sounds, not just the speed. Much of the experience would be lost in my opinion. I would rather see a class for MotoGP spec machinery ridden by the best TT men than an electric class. And you can count me as a moron, I would rather spend $15K on some classic motorcycles than one of the new electric bikes out.

There is nothing wrong with having a certain class you or type of vehicle you enjoy. The problem is when you try to stop other people from enjoying what they enjoy. I am glad some people like classic cars. I'm happy for the fact that some people enjoy going to NASCAR and that you walk away almost deaf if you're not wearing ear protection. LOL But this guy is complaining because they have electric bikes running at the TT. What? Did it rob him of his humanity that someone else wanted to see the electrics run? Did it somehow deprive him of his manhood? Did it force him to kick his dog and yell at his kids? I didn't see anyone on the EV side saying: "They should stop all those noisy petrol bikes", so why is he trying to stop the electrics from competing. Why can't he just STFU and enjoy the show like everyone else? THAT is why I say he's a moron.